Amy Winehouse’s Brother Says It Was Bulimia, Not Drugs + Alcohol, That Killed Her

It's been almost two years since Amy Winehouse passed away -- the anniversary of her death is July 23. But her family works tirelessly to keep her memory alive. (There is a summer exhibit at London's Jewish Museum, called 'Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait.')

Now, her older brother Alex has gone on record to say that it was bulimia really that killed his sister, not her notorious drug and alcohol abuse.

The official cause of death was listed as accidental alcohol poisoning after a pair of inquests, but Alex begs to differ.

He has said that it was his little sister's battle with bulimia, something she fought since the age of 17, that actually did her in.

Alex told The Observer that his sister was hanging out with a bunch of girls her own age who "were all doing it. They'd put loads of rich sauces on their food, scarf it down and throw it up. They stopped doing it, but Amy never really did."

He admitted that the family "all knew she was doing it, but it's almost impossible [to tackle] especially if you're not talking about it. It's a real dark, dark issue."

He also recalled, "She suffered from bulimia very badly. That's not, like, a revelation – you knew just by looking at her. She would have died eventually, the way she was going, but what really killed her was the bulimia. Absolutely terrible."

He clarified that bulimia was the true cause of death since "it left her weaker and more susceptible. Had she not had an eating disorder, she would have been physically stronger."

The Amy Winehouse Foundation, which was set up in her name after her death, recently donated money to eating disorder charity known as Beat. The funds will be used to pay for a forum on the web with its own dedicated moderator, which will help people with similar issues.

The aforementioned exhibit documents the singer's life in photographs, while things like her books and her records will be on display.

A filmed documentary is also in the works.

So Winehouse's legacy is active. It's just a shame she can't rest in peace as questions about her death continue to be raised.